Magic Sand
by Rice-Ball247
Summary: ONESHOT Sasuke never plays with Naruto so when Naruchan is requested to guide Gaara around the village, he makes a new friend who finally lets him play with Magic Sand.


**Magic Sand**

(Naruto)

Gaara x Naruto

(Slight Sasuke x Naruto)

Dedicated to Linda (Warning – Shounen ai!)

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto...or the actual magicsand but I DO own this story and whatever happens in it! I don't have a beta reader...don't know what that is either but I think I have an inkling of a clue! o anyways, here is a new one-shot!

It was a beautiful, sunny day in the lives of the people of Konoha. The shinobi especially, since it was their day for relaxation – in the sun, swimming in the rivers perhaps – or maybe at the beach building sandcastles. There was a month of relaxation, or a break rather, since the preliminary matches of the Chuunin Exam had ended. Sasuke was usually training with Kakashi, Sakura was elsewhere since she hadn't passed the preliminaries and Naruto...well, Naruto was usually off to train with 'ero-sannin', the Legendary Jiraiya (The Super Pervert).

Usually, on days like this, you would hang out with your friends or your team or just be off on your own doing who knows what.

But not for Team 7.

Kakashi was busy with some report filing and, as much as Sakura would have loved to go, the pink haired girl and promised to go out with Ino to catch up with things since they hadn't been able to see much of each other lately. Whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, it didn't matter, for it left a certain blonde youth with his rival and best friend, the dark haired, alabaster-skinned Uchiha Sasuke.

"Ano sa, Sasuke-teme!" the blonde haired, blue-eyed Uzumaki Naruto began, shifting uncomfortably beside his thirteen-year-old friend. "I'm bored. Play with me."

Onyx eyes regarded the energetic bundle of energy, otherwise known as Naruto, before flickering down to the metal kunai that was balanced between pale, slender fingers.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Ne, Sasuke-teme, you're no fun at all," Naruto grumbled under his breath with irritation at the boy, who remained under the shade of a particularly large oak tree.

"You," Sasuke began, his eyes never leaving the crucial examination of his blade, "are annoying, _dobe_."

His eyes, which were hidden beneath thick bangs of raven hair, were only met with the incredulous sound of...silence.

For the second time in the first fifteen minutes that he had begun the scrutiny of the dagger, Sasuke's charcoal black eyes left the sleek metal surface to look up at his loud-mouthed friend. He blinked in surprise.

Naruto was gone.

"Baka no Sasuke-teme!" Naruto growled angrily as he left his best friend sitting there, stunned and unmoving. He shot a fleeting glare at the head of his best friend and crush, who had resumed the study of his precious kunai. He failed to see exactly WHAT THE HELL was so interesting about the stupid piece of metal that it would demand and consume the Uchiha's full attention.

The sun suddenly began to feel extremely hot in the sky and Naruto cursed the fact that he wasn't carrying any money with him at the moment. He was beginning to regret ever leaving the cool shade of the tree, since the sun was blazing hot and there were stands selling icy cold drinks and freezing popsicle sticks and delicious COLD ice-cream. All of which, had glaring shopkeepers as they watched the kyuubi carrier walk by.

Naruto shrugged it off as he glanced up and was met with the general sight of the Hokage mountain. It was truly an amazing monument – something that was similar to the mountain in a book he had read called Mount Rushmore in Am-something. He shrugged, figuring that he might as well go visit Sandaime Hokage, the third leader of the village so far.

'Well...there was the forth,' Naruto noted as his eyes fixed upon the handsome, well sculpted face of Yondaime Hokage. 'But he died.'

He grinned as he ran for the tower and, with his prankster skill, managed to scale the wall until he reached the window of the Hokage's office.

"Heh! I'm a genius!" Naruto chuckled to himself, seeing the ANBU members guarding the door unmoving. They wouldn't allow him to ever see the Hokage since he had such a reputation of being a prankster and would often disrupt the Hokage whilst he worked.

"Naruto," came a soft sigh from the occupant on the desk, hastily scribbling something down on a scroll before placing it aside. "Get out from there. You're blocking the chakra waves."

Naruto blinked in surprise when the chair turned slowly and he was met, face to face, with one of his idols, the third Hokage. The old man chuckled merrily when he saw the half disappointed, half surprised look on Naruto's youthful face.

"One, Naruto, I can sense your chakra signature from miles away," he began, turning back to his desk. An eyebrow rose.

"Two, I saw the shadow you cast over my desk. Your spiky hair is unmistakable."

"Gee, thanks jii-chan. I dunno whether to take that as an insult or a compliment," Naruto replied dryly, taking a seat in front of the leader.

"Anything I can do for you?" Sandaime asked warily.

"Yes. Is there anything _I_ can do for _you_?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. The Kazekage," he began, looking over some scrolls and parchments before raising his head to meet the blonde's, "has sent word requesting that someone take Gaara and his siblings around Konoha today."

Naruto quirked an eyebrow as well as a matching smirk.

"And you want me to do it?"

"It would be much appreciated if you did."

"What do I get out of this, anyways, old man?" Naruto smirked again, seeing the opportunities begin to tip in his favour.

"A treat for ramen."

That was all that was needed to be said for Naruto to beg to have the job.

"So who is this Gaara, anyways?" Naruto asked nonchalantly after accepting the task. Sandaime's head shot up and a small smile graced his lips.

"Do not tell me that you don't know who Sabaku Gaara is?" he sighed, dropping all the scrolls on his desk.

"I know of one."

"Then it's that one."

"…no way."

"Yes way."

"No!"

"Naruto-" he began in a warning tone, glaring sternly at the boy. "You've accepted and I expect you to carry the 'task' out as ordered. After all, you are getting a treat afterwards."

Naruto grumbled curses under his breath before the door opened and a trio of siblings were ushered inside. Naruto stiffened as three simultaneous footsteps echoed inside the now empty room. A blonde haired girl of around fifteen bowed and sat in a comfortable chair to his right. A boy, who was probably around fourteen with strange, purple tattoos on his face, sat on his left.

That left…

Naruto trembled as he looked up over his left shoulder shakily and was met with cold, teal coloured eyes, which were brushed over with silky, red coloured hair. It looked almost as soft as Sasuke's! His skin was not as pale as his rivals, but still pale, meaning that he probably didn't go out much.

Naruto's cerulean blue eyes were drawn to the red tattoo, which was symbolic for the word 'LOVE' that was emblazoned upon the left hand side of Gaara's forehead. An eyebrow-less forehead. An eyebrow-less forehead that belonged to a handsome face with eyes so dark, so tainted with the intent to kill that there were dark, black circles enshrouding the eyelids and the skin below.

"Panda…" Naruto choked out. An invisible eyebrow rose.

"Ahem," Sandaime cleared his throat, earning the attention of all four of the teens (or in Naruto's case, pre-teens) in the room. "Now that I have all of you assembled, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro, I would like you to meet your guide for today, Naruto."

"I'll pass," Kankuro muttered, glaring at the blonde when he remembered the first time that they had met. Temari shook her head and sighed before agreeing with him.

"Gomen ne, Hokage-sama. But if Kankuro doesn't go, I must look after him. I take it that Gaara will politely refu-"

"I'm going."

Four surprised heads turned their attention to the silent redhead that stood behind a nervous looking Naruto. His teal blue eyes lowered until they were fixed upon Naruto's cute face.

"I need someone…to play with…"

Silence.

"Well," Sandaime managed out shakily, standing up and bowing. "You may go about your ways. Dismissed."

Everyone, save for the Hokage himself, exited the room. Temari tried to change her baby brother's mind but was only met with a chilling glare.

'Whoa…hell freezing over…' Naruto thought as he stiffened again. The four parted ways and Naruto walked almost robotically around Konoha with a stoic sand-nin following him. He was as silent as Sasuke – and that was saying something.

He still had, around his back, the large sand gourd fastened with a black sash. That thing was full of sand. Dangerous sand that had absorbed the blood of many – ninja and citizen alike. Dangerous sand that was under the control of the boy standing before him.

"Where would you like to go?" Naruto asked nervously after they had walked everywhere, save for the beach – a place where he doubted the sand-nin would ever step foot upon if unnecessary.

"Beach."

The answer was almost immediate and it suddenly hit Naruto like a ton of bricks.

'Of course, baka. Sand-nins like sand!'

Naruto grinned shakily at the thought of all the sand that would be under the boy's control.

"H-hai."

He resumed walking automatically and robotically again, to the beach, Gaara following. Gaara sensed the blonde's distrust and unease around him and decided that maybe this annoying and loud-mouthed, obnoxious – the list could go on and on but he stopped there.

For they had stopped, and finally arrived, at the beach. Naruto stretched his arm out and pointed to the ocean.

"Ne, Gaara, isn't the beach beautiful?" he asked rather stiffly. Gaara's eyes flickered over to the boy's face and then over his shoulder to look over the beach, seeing people looking up at the pair with interest.

"Hnn…" was the short reply. Or rather, grunt.

For Naruto, that was the last straw. He had tried to be nice – perhaps out of fear, but he had no fear, right?

"Gaa-ra!" he shouted, causing the boy to turn his attention slowly to him. Another impassive look that rivaled Sasuke's. "I'm trying to be nice here to pay attention!"

Gaara gave him another impassive stare before turning and walking down to the shore of the beach. Naruto followed hesitantly, his anger still running and was fueled even more when he saw Gaara stretched out a single hand and the sand of the beach began to flow towards him like a river. The occupants of the beach immediately cleared out upon sighting the two dangerous 'monsters'.

"What are you doing?" Naruto shouted, glaring at the male who was, so casually, taking up all the sand from the beach. Quite selfishly too, he might add.

"Building."

"Building what?"

"A sandcastle."

"Oh."

Naruto's eyebrows marred together. For some reason, Gaara and 'building a sandcastle' did not seem to fit in the same sentence together.

However, Gaara's sandcastle was not what he had had in mind. It was, _literally_, a _sand castle_.

"How did you do that?"

"It was chakra training."

No wonder he was building a bloody sandcastle! An enormous one at that!

"You coming?" Gaara asked emotionlessly as he opened an invisible door in the wall. Naruto nodded before, reluctantly, stepping inside. Gaara followed suit and the door was immediately sealed.

'Crap.'

It was probably a trap, for all Naruto knew. And now he was stuck in a sandcastle with a KILLER! And the favoured weapon for this killer was sand and they were on a bloody beach! Panic rose to high levels in the leaf genin's body. He had to get out of there! And fast!

Naruto, in his frenzy, stumbled over a bucket that had been drawn in with the sand, a clear food container and a bottle of water. Amongst the other random things were beach balls, towels, umbrellas and, to his disgust, a bikini top.

With all the things running through his mind, Naruto opted to stay calm. Gaara sat himself down in a corner and began to control the sand around the castle using his fingers. A clone of Naruto appeared from the collected golden brown grains before Gaara fisted his hands and it crumbled to its original state. Naruto shuddered.

"You know," Naruto began, trying to find a way to start a conversation. "When I was younger, my friend Iruka, gave me something that he had when he was little. It was a tiny plastic bottle full of pink sand."

Gaara raised an invisible eyebrow. Naruto continued.

"He said that it was 'Magic Sand' and it would stay dry even if you put it in water, and you could shape it into many things like castles, or a tower, or people if you want, if you were really skilled."

"Your point is?" Gaara muttered, glaring at the blonde who was babbling senselessly. Naruto sniffled, slightly miffed by his rude interruption.

"Well I lost it-"

"Point," Gaara reminded him coldly. Naruto nodded shakily.

"I want to play with it again but they don't sell it anymore."

There was a moment of silence before Gaara got up, picked up the bucket, the container and the bottle of water and set it down on the cleared ground beneath them.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Gaara began, motioning for Naruto to sit down. "But I might be able to help."

Naruto's frightened eyes lit up and a bright, 1000-watt smile brightened his face.

"Honto ni? You'll make me one, ne, Gaara?"

Gaara nodded silently and his hands moved smoothly as he moved some sand into the bucket and placed his hand atop it. Focusing chakra through his fingertips, the sand remained unchanged to the visible eye. Naruto raised an eyebrow. Gaara then opened the bottle of water, poured it into the container and then began to pour the sand into the container of water.

Naruto remained unimpressed until he saw the sand begin to take form. He lowered himself onto his stomach, propping himself up onto his elbows as he watched with absolute fascination as the sand 'hardened'. Gaara was amazingly skilled for someone who had never played with magic sand before. Then again, this was HIS SAND controlled by HIS CHAKRA. He was someone who had controlled sand for nearly all his life. Naruto was still impressed no matter what though.

What threw the youngster off guard was that Gaara made two little figurines in the miniature water/sand village. Two little figurines that moved.

He recognized one from the gourd on its back. That was Gaara. The other one had unmistakable spiky hair. Naruto sighed. That, obviously, was him.

'Gaara' reached out for 'Naruto's' hand and the two began to run around the village amuck, still hand in hand. Naruto felt his cheeks colour when 'he' tripped and 'Gaara' fell atop him.

He looked up with amusement to see that Gaara had a light tint of pink on his cheeks.

"Gomen ne…"

"It's okay, Gaara," Naruto grinned cheerfully. A moment of silence stretched out before Gaara righted the two figurines and they began to run around again. Naruto let out a sigh and Gaara's head shot up, a face of curiosity that showed he was interested in what made the boy so flustered.

"Daijabou desu ka?" he asked softly, reaching out to touch the smooth skin of Naruto's cheek. A pink flush immediately appeared on Naruto's cheeks.

"It's just that…Sasuke-teme, who is my best friend, refuses to play with me today," Naruto began, his eyes trained upon the sand in the mini village. "Yet you, a stranger, has come and made an entire castle and even made magic sand for me."

Gaara's hand lowered slightly and rested beside the container. They were both on their stomachs now and Gaara's teal coloured eyes met Naruto's cerulean blue ones.

"You are my first friend," Gaara declared softly as he pushed the container aside. Mini 'Gaara and Naruto' stumbled again until 'Gaara' lay upon his back with 'Naruto' atop him. Naruto flushed a brilliant red and the faintest of smiles appeared on Gaara's lips.

"So friend, I offer you whatever I have. You were excellent to play with."

Naruto smiled this time, a genuine smile. No traces of nervousness or distrust, falseness or hatred for that matter. He was happy. A new friend and free ramen all in one day! Not only that but he had got to play with Magic Sand again!

Gaara, his cold eyes finally softening, crawled closer to the younger boy.

"I've never had a real friend before, Naruto-kun."

"I'll be your best friend from now on then. But you have to share me with Sasuke-kun."

There was a pregnant pause between them before Gaara smiled softly and nodded.

"I've never been kissed before either. Nobody ever loved me," he mumbled, like a confused and wondering teenager.

"I got my first kiss from Sasuke by accident."

Gaara seemed slightly miffed yet shocked at the same time. Naruto's eyes filled with wonder and yet sorrow, mixed and jumbled together with happiness, love, hatred…so many emotions that Gaara never practiced, much less knew – aside from killing intent and hatred as well as confusion.

Gaara blinked and before he knew it, the blonde had pressed his lips gently against his. Naruto's lips were soft and tasted like miso of some sort – salty yet very pleasant. Gaara's lips were slightly chapped and dry yet moistened as Naruto kissed him further. He returned the exchange with much fervour, wishing that Naruto would truly be his best friend forever. Just wait until he found out what a lover was! Naruto's hands were clasped through his hair, running through the soft red locks in imitation to what the redhead was doing to his golden tendrils. They broke away slowly, a tiny cord of saliva slipped against Gaara's wet lips and onto his chin.

"Play with me again someday, ne, Gaara?" Naruto grinned brightly at the shocked sand-nin. Gaara nodded as he formed a dispelling seal and the sandcastle crumbled and began to flow away to its proper place all over the beach.

"GAARA!" came the shouts of the red-heads siblings. Gaara looked up in surprise to see Temari and Kankuro calling out to him. He nodded to Naruto one last time before upping and leaving, silently following in the wake of his older sister and brother with a hidden smile of his face – his insides were leaping with joy and new found excitement. Naruto smiled as he watched the sand-nin's retreating back.

A new friend, huh? Would they be enemies after or during the Chuunin Exams Third task? Gaara was going to fight Sasuke after all…whilst he had the first match against Hyuuga Neji.

"Gaara…"

"Dobe," came a familiar voice from behind him. Naruto turned around slowly and was met with his other best friend, Uchiha Sasuke.

"Teme."

The two acknowledged each other with a single nod. Sasuke rubbed his arm gently as Naruto looked away, a faint blush spread across his cheeks as the glowing sun began to set across the horizon and was reflected in his eyes, his smile and his face.

"Were…were you bored all day?"

An eyebrow rose again that day.

"Not at all, teme."

"So, what are you going to do now?" Sasuke asked, his eyes lingering on the back of Gaara's head as the sand trio retreated.

There was a comfortable pause before Naruto turned back to meet Sasuke's eyes again. His bright blue eyes were glowing with such mirth that it lit up Sasuke's darkened face.

"Let's go get ramen now! Your treat!"

"What? No!"

"But you didn't hang out with me today! Besides, jii-chan said I could!"

Sasuke sighed and shook his head.

"What flavour?"

"YAY! I want an extra large serving of miso ramen with pork and…"

This went on and on until the two just so happened to 'run into' Sandaime Hokage and he treated them both to ramen.

"Dobe?"

"Yeah?"

"You've got sand on your face."

"That's not sand," Naruto answered smartly, a grin on his face. Sasuke raised a brow.

"What is it then?"

"It's Magic Sand."

**_Owari!_**

Please review!


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